No, there is not a national ban on gas stoves in the U.S.

UPDATE (05/04/2023): New York has become the first state in the U.S. to ban natural gas stoves and furnaces in most new buildings in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The law, which is part of the recently approved state budget, applies only to new construction and does not affect existing buildings.

The state mandate will require new buildings of seven stories or less to be all-electric starting in 2026. The ban for taller buildings starts in 2029. Hospitals, critical infrastructure and commercial food establishments are exempt from the requirements, as are buildings where the local grid is not capable of handling the load.

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After new research was recently published linking gas stoves to childhood asthma, reports began circulating online that federal government agencies were considering banning the use of gas stoves nationally. 

“This is a recipe for disaster. The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) tweeted on Jan. 10. 

The VERIFY team has received several viewer questions asking if the federal government is going to place a ban on gas stoves, or on natural gas hookups altogether. 

THE QUESTION

Is there a national ban on new gas stoves in the U.S.?

THE SOURCES

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Rich Trumka Jr.
• Sierra Club
• Jake Rubin, senior director of public relations at the American Gas Association 
• Rob Jackson, Ph.D., professor of earth system science at Stanford University

THE ANSWER

No, there is not a national ban on gas stoves in the U.S. However, some cities and counties across the country have issued bans on new natural gas hookups for things like gas stoves in future construction projects. 

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WHAT WE FOUND

The claims that gas stoves would be banned federally stem from reports that said the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was considering a ban on gas stoves in response to a recent study on the harmful respiratory effects of cooking with gas stoves. 

But Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Rich Trumka Jr. took to Twitter to clear the air. 

“To be clear, CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves. Regulations apply to new products. For Americans who CHOOSE to switch from gas to electric, there is support available - Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act which includes a $840 rebate,” Trumka Jr. tweeted. 

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provided funding for consumer-home energy rebate programs to electrify home appliances and perform energy-efficient retrofits. The goal is to reduce energy costs for American households.   

So, currently, there is no ban on purchasing gas appliances. But, some U.S. cities have passed legislation that would ban the installation of gas appliances on most new development projects. The bans only apply to new construction, so there is no need to replace a functioning oven. 

New York City and over 50 cities in California, including San Francisco and San Jose, are among those cities, according to the Sierra Club. 

Rob Jackson, a professor of environmental sciences at Stanford University, and Jake Rubin, the senior director of public relations at the American Gas Association, also previously confirmed to VERIFY there is not a national ban on natural gas hookups that are used for gas stoves in the U.S. 

“There are a few places in the United States where you are not able to get a natural gas hookup to your home or business. In most of those places, it's for new construction,” Rubin said. 

While gas stoves are still available for purchase, Jackson told VERIFY it's more efficient for cities to ban natural gas hookups in future construction than to remove that infrastructure from buildings that already exist. 

“What we don't want to do is for people to have to swap out a perfectly good stove or appliance in their home while it's still functional and still working,” Jackson said. “Every house on the street that is using natural gas requires the same infrastructure, so if you want to try and meet a city or country's climate goals to reduce natural gas and methane leaking into the air, phasing out gas usage in future construction is the best way to avoid throwing away perfectly good appliances.” 

Meanwhile, at least 19 states, including Alabama, Florida, and Texas, have passed laws that ban local governments from placing limits on natural gas usage, according to Rubin.

“There are a number of states that have said they don't see banning natural gas as a climate solution, and therefore they have passed legislation statewide that prohibits states, cities, and towns from eliminating natural gas or any utility as a choice for those customers,” Rubin said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.